MONOGRAPHS OF KINNEY COUNTY’S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: The Stables

This bi-weekly feature examines the enduring unique architecture and historic associations to be found here in Kinney County by spotlighting individual buildings and providing brief histories, complimented by period photographs. Our intent is to explore the past, inspire the present, and build the future by showcasing the remarkable associations and legacies of structures which have stood the test of time and continue to contribute so much to the exceptional heritage of Kinney County. Our next subject is the “The Stables” a compatible structure to the Fort Clark Historic District, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Constructed in 1939 and used by Headquarters Troop, 1st Cavalry Brigade, post building No. 51 is the only remaining stable in what was once a complex of stables which ran along present day Crockett Road. Killis Almond’s architectural description from 1981 is still valid. This site includes the remaining structures which once formed five of a larger number of cavalry stables constructed around the turn of the century. This building represents the basic configuration of a stable; a long rectangular series of wood frame stalls with a stone masonry tackroom at each end. The stalls are covered with a gable roof which intersects with the gable roofs of the tack rooms. The tackrooms are constructed of solid stone random ashlar with a continuous concrete bond beam at the top course. The gable ends have horizontal wood siding with small louvered vents. Almond goes on to describe the stone remains of the other four stables which also occupy the site but have now been incorporated into new construction.

Stables were first constructed on this site in 1870, as evidenced from the inspection report of Colonel Edmund Schriver on Military Posts in Texas November, 1872 – January, 1873. Stables and stable complexes are associated with a time when horses were essential to military operations. Horses were the essence of cavalry units, and cavalry stables were kept separate from quartermaster corrals, as was the case at Fort Clark. Each Troop had its own stables and a unit “stable gang” of select troopers, which included one or more farriers (blacksmiths), who cared for the horses beyond the daily grooming and exercise performed by each horse’s assigned trooper. One building at end of the stalls stored tack (saddles and bridles) while the other served as a troop blacksmith shop. Of particular historic note is that future Medal of Honor recipient and then Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, Jonathan Wainwright, kept his favorite mount, a rangy thoroughbred named Thundercast, in one of the stalls.

A superb feature article written by Lawrence D. Nuckles for the January 1982 issue of Horseman magazine describes in detail what it was like to be a cavalry trooper at Fort Clark in the 1930s. Nuckles enlisted underage from Sabinal in 1936. He served in Headquarters Troop, 1st Cavalry Brigade and had duty at the remount stables where new horses underwent six-weeks of training before being assigned to a Troop. His lifelong love of horses and passion for their individual personalities are the centerpieces of the article. Nuckles retired from the army as a lieutenant colonel in 1978. No doubt he experienced our surviving stables.

In addition to the characteristic aromas of the stables there were also the sounds of the whinnies, neighs, nickers, and snorts of the horses. The sound that mattered to the soldiers was “Stable Call,” a distinctive daily bugle signal, at or near dawn and before breakfast, used in the 19th-century to alert cavalry soldiers to prepare for horse care duties. When sounded, troopers would put on their white canvas stable clothing and reported to the stables to feed, groom and exercise their assigned mounts.

Although our stables had an army service life of only five years their usefulness has continued 82 years into the present day. The stables flourished during the Guest Ranch era and are still home to several of man’s noblest companions ... horses. Few military stables continue to serve as stables. Most stables have been converted to other uses, including storage, offices, residences, and garages. So the integrity of Fort Clark’s stables is exceptionally impressive contributing to the Historic District by retaining its original location and function while preserving its setting, design, exterior materials, workmanship, and associations. A most eminently qualified candidate for designation as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.



Monographs of Kinney County’s Architectural Heritage is written by Bill Haenn, FCHC Senior Historian. Fort Clark Heritage Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, established in 2023, to advocate for the preservation and protection of the architecture and other historic resources in the Fort Clark National Register Historic District for the benefit  of the visiting public and future generations, providing for the advancement and strengthening of heritage tourism initiatives by growing recognition of and visitation to the Fort Clark Historic District and being committed to endorsing and promulgating the rich history of Fort Clark by expanding upon related educational and research efforts. Find this article and more online at  KinneyCountyPost.com